Apparatus for feeding cleats to box-making machines



Sept- 1961 D. e. KINGSLEY EI'AL 2,999,614

GHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CLEATS TO BOX-MAKING MA Original Filed Sept. 20, 1954 .3 Dav/a a. XfiYfi fP/chard L. Rice L. .Sfan/ey Hayward aux/i 1/0073; rd

7 ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 12, 1961 D. e. KINGSLEY El'AL 9 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING CLEATS T0 BOX-MAKING MACHINES- Original Filed Sept. 20, 1954' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 2,999,614 FOR FEEDING CLEATS T 1- -'I'- MACHINES David G. Kingsley and Richard L. Rice, Mountain Lakes, and L. Stanley Hayward, Morris Plains, N.J., assignors to Stapling Machines Co., Rockaway, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Original application Sept. 20, 1954, Ser. No. 457,066, now Patent No. 2,827,201, dated Mar. 18, 1958. Divided and this application Apr. 19, 1957, Ser. No. 659,451

3 Claims. (Cl. 221-13) This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing cleats to wirebound box-making machines of the type disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,304,510, issued December 8, 1942.

This application is a division of application Serial No. 457,066, filed September 20, 1954, now Patent No. 2,827,201. i

In such machines, properly assembled cleats and side material or slats are conveyed beneath a transverse bank of stapling units by which staples are driven over longitudinally extending binding wires, through the side material or slats and into the cleats to form wirebound box blanks. Each of these box blanks comprises a plurality, usually four, box sections or sides which are foldably secured together by the binding wires. The cleats are frequently provided with mitered ends which fit snugly together when the box blanks are folded around to set up the box, where the box has oblong ends, two lengths of cleats are required, with alternate sections of the box blanks having cleats of different length.

The cleats and side material or slats are conveyed through the box-making machine by continuously moving conveyor bands which carry adjustably positioned projecting push elements which engage the cleats and side material or slats and maintain their properly assembled relationship.

In United States Patent No. 2,658,631, issued November 10, 1953, there is disclosed apparatus for mechanically dispensing cleats into proper position in the spaces ahead of the push elements on the conveyor bands of a wirebound boxmaking machine. This apparatus eliminates some of the manual labor which has previously been required in the laying of cleats and thereby enables a substantial reduction in the cost of producing wirebound boxes and crates.

The present invention is in the nature of an improvement over the invention of said Patent No. 2,658,631, to the end of achieving a more dependable supply of cleats to the conveyor bands of wirebound box-making machines. The invention allows greater flexibility in positioning of the cleat dispensing units when cleats of two different lengths are being fed. The invention provides means for feeding mitered cleats whose length exceeds specified tolerances, as well as means to facilitate the movement of cleats supplied from the first of two cleat dispensing units, beneath the column of cleats contained within the hopper portion of the second cleat dispensing unit. The invention also provides a dual safety gate having one member which opens to permit egress of two adhering cleats, thus clearing a slight cleat jam without interrupting production of the box-making machine while its other member opens only in the event of a serious cleat jam or other malfunction and the opening of this second member stops the conveyor bands in order to prevent possible damage to the elements involved.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the outer face of a cleat dispensing apparatus embodying features of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1.

APPARATU Patented Sept. 12, 1961 FIGURE 3 is an end elevation of the cleat dispensing apparatus as viewed from the end which appears at the left in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view-of the inner face of the cleat dispensing apparatus, showing particularly its output end.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the lower: portion of the cleat dispensing apparatus.

FIGURE 6 is atop plan view of the portion. of. the apparatus shown in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

The cleat dispensing apparatus of FIGURES 1.7 is adapted to be supported, as is particularly shown in FIG- URE 3, by one of the pair of longitudinally extending side rails which form part of conventional wirebound boxmaking machines. One of said side rails is positioned at each side of the machine to support the conveyor bands. While each of the side rails bears cleat dispensing apparatus, it is deemed sufiicientto illustrate and describe only one of the dispensing units, since they are identical except for reversal of parts.

As may be seen in FIGURE 3, each of the side rails is built up from a pair of angle members A and B which are bolted together in spaced relationship. To the upper surface of outer angle member B the cleat dispensing-unit is detachably mounted at a convenient point adjacent the input end of the machine while the inner angle member A supports the conveyor bands C with its attached cleat push elements V. The construction of 'said unit is gener-ally similar to that of the cleat dispensing unit disclosed in the aforementioned Patent No. 2,658,631. Briefly, it comprises vertical angle brackets D and E (FIGURE 2) spaced apart a suitable distance and suitably braced by cross members F which are designed to suport, in adjustable fashion, a plurality of vertically extending bars G which serve as the side walls of a hopper for storing a generally vertical stack of cleats. The bars G are supported on the cross members F by clamping washers 3 having centering bosses 3a slidably received between the cross members F, with bolts 5 extending through the washers 3 and being threaded into the bars G. The position of the bars G along the cross members F may be adjusted by loosening the bolts 5, sliding them to the desired position, and

retightening the bolts.

In FIGURES l and 5 may be seen a bracket 2 which is fastened to the outer face of angle member B and is provided with an elongated opening 4 to receive therein the centering boss 6a of a clamping washer 6 which is secured to the downwardly projecting leg 8 of a support plate lit by means of a bolt 9, extending through the extension 8 and being threaded into the washer 6, this arrangement permitting adjustment of the position of the plate 10 lengthwise of the bracket 2. To the outer face of an upstanding flange 12 of support plate 10 is mounted a solenoid 14 which, as shown more clearly in FIGURES 2 and 6, has an elongated rod member 18 pivotally connected to its armature 16 by a pin 19.

Pivotally mounted on a stud 20 (FIGURE 2) projecting from the upper surface of support plate 10 (FIGURE 2) are an irregularly shaped ejecting member or finger 22 and an outwardly projecting arm 24 which is secured to the finger 22 in fixed angular relation and which is pivotally connected to the free end of the aforementioned rod member 18 by a pin 25. The finger 22 is slidably supported on the aligned upper surfaces of support plate 10 and the base member H of the dispensing unit.

As shown particularly in FIGURE 3, this base member H is supported on the upper surface of outer angle member B and has at its inner face adjacent conveyor band C a vertical flange I which serves as a stop for the cleats ejected from the cleat dispensing unit and also as a 3 guide for the cleats as they are moved by the cleat pushing elements V.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 6, the energization of solenoid 14 retracts its armature 16 in the direction indicated by arrow K and causes irregularly shaped fingers 22 to assume the position shown by broken lines L, while the deenergization of solenoid 14 permits the finger 22 to be returned to its initial position against a stop block 26 by a tension spring 28, one end of which is hooked to a stud 30 threaded into the undersurface of rod member 18 and the other end of which is hooked to the upstanding portion of an L-shaped stud 32 threaded into the outer face of support plate 10.

It will be seen, with further reference to FIGURES 2 and 6, that the upstanding flange 12 of support plate It) has fastened to its inner face a' plate 34 which serves as one end wall of the cleat hopper. The other end wall of the hopper is formed by a plate 40 (FIGURE 6) and a plate 35 (FIGURE 1) secured to the angle bracket E. Longitudinal adjustment of the end wall 34, according to the length of the cleats being dispensed, is obtained by clamping leg 8 of support plate 10 at a suitable location along bracket 2 by means of clamping member 6;

As may be seen by reference to FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 4, the ejected cleat is prevented from jumping by hold down members 36 and 38. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, hold-down member 38 is yieldingly attached to a safety gate 40 which is hinged at 42 to end wall E of the hopper. An arm 44 projecting rigidly outward from the upper end of safety gate 40 is arranged to actuate an electric switch 46, when it moves to the position shown by broken lines M in Figure 4,. to stop the box parts conveying mechanism in the event of a serious jam of cleats at their point of egress from the cleat dispensing unit. Safety gate 40 is returned to and yieldingly maintained in its initial position by a tension spring 48 the upper end of which is fastened to arm 44 and the lower end of which is fastened to end wall E.

In FIGURES 2, and-6 is shown a mechanism which will direct cleats that are within tolerances for their specified length, into proper position between the cleat pushing elements V on the moving conveyor bands C. This mechanism includes a gate member 50 pivotally mounted on a stud 52 threaded into'a boss 54 on base member Hj Gate member 50 is normally positioned at an oblique angle with respect to the direction of oleat movement, which is indicated by arrow N, and its free end is beveled and aligned with the inner face of the elongated outer guide member 64 which, with the aforementioned inner cleat guide I, defines a channel for guiding the cleats. The gate member 50 is urged in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 6, by a coil spring 58 which is tensioned between the hub portion 50a of gate member 50 and the inner face of end wall E, but its movement in this direction is limited by a stop pin 56 threaded into the upper surface of the angle member B and projecting upwardly therefrom.

The gate member 50 cooperates with a ramp block 60 to align cleats of excessive length for continuous movement. The ramp block 60 is secured on the upper surface of the base member H adjacent the free end of gate member 50 and is provided with an upwardly inclined bevel 62 at its end facing toward the oncoming cleats. This bevel 62 raises the leading end of a mitered cleat which is too long to enter freely into the spaces between adjacent cleat push elements V, thereby permitting the spring loaded gate member 50 to swing the leading end of the cleat into proper alignment when it has been elevated to such extent that the miter will permit it to move into the space between the cleat pushing members.

It will be seen with further reference to FIGURES 2 'and 6 that the beveled portion of the free end of gate member 50 overlies the outwardly flared free end of the elongated guide 64. The elongated guide 64 is pivotally 4 base member H and is urged in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 6 by a tension spring 70 (FIGURE 2) which has one of its ends fastened to the hub portion 72 of the guide 64 and its other end hooked about a stud 74 projecting from the upper surface of base member H, with its movement in such direction being limited by an adjustable stop screw 68 engaging a flattened surface on the hub portion 72. Any yielding movement of gate member 50 will thus be imparted to elongated guide 64, as indicated for example by broken line P in FIG- URE 6.

The operation of this mechanism is as follows:

The cleat hopper is filled with a stack of cleats which are supported upon base member H with the bottom cleat in the arcuate path of finger 22 which is actuated by the energization of solenoid 14. This action is initiated'by each of -a series of trip members R which are adjustably clamped to conveyor band C in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 11 of US. Patent No. 2,402,370, each a predetermined distance ahead of one of the cleat pushing members V. i

As may be seen in FIGURE 2, as each cleat pushing member arrives at a point adjacent the trailing end of the bottom cleat 78 in the stack, one of the trip members R contacts a pivotally mounted spring loaded finger 80 and causes it to actuate an electric switch 82 which is mounted adjacent the path of the conveyor band C on an adjustable bracket 84 secured to the side of angle member A (see also FIGURE 7). The electric switch 82 is a mo: mentary contact normally open single-pole switch which is connected in series with the solenoid 14 across a source of electrical current so that the actuation of electric switch 82 energizes solenoid 14, retracting its armature 16 and the rod member 18 pivotally attached thereto in the direction indicated by the arrow K. This action rotates finger 22 counterclockwise to its position shown in broken lines in FIGURES 2 and 6, and the finger pushes the trailing end of the bottom cleat 78 outwardly into contact with vertical flange I and in the path of the outwardly projecting push fin U of the approaching cleat push element V the leading edge of the cleat may also move outwardly to a certain extent. However, friction between the upper surface of the bottom cleat and the lower surface of the next cleat above it is normally sufficient to limit movement of the leading end of the bottom cleat and to cause it to pivot about its leading end so that only a trailing end moves outwardly toward the path of the push fin U. The push fins U of the adjacent cleat pushing elements V are spaced apart a sufficient distance to receive between them cleats of a certain maximum length. If the bottom cleat 78 does not exceed this length, it will be directed into the space between the push fins by contact of its leading end with the obliquely positioned gate member 50, as shown by broken lines 78a and 78b in FIGURE 2.

As may be seen in FIGURES 5 and 6, in the event that the length of cleat 78 exceeds this tolerance but is still not too long to fit between the end walls of the hopper), its leading end cannot move into position in this fashion, but, as shown by broken lines 78c, will engage the outer end of the preceding fin U and, as it moves further along, will force outwardly the spring loaded gate member 50 and the spring loaded guide 64, as shown by broken lines 50a and 64a. At the same time, the leading end of the cleat will climb up the bevel 62 of ramp block 60, as shown by broken lines 78d. As will be understood, the raising of the mitered end of cleat 78 produces the effect of foreshortening the length of the cleat and allows thespring loaded gate member 50 and elongated guide 64 to press the leading end of the cleat into proper alignment, with any excess in length of the cleat merely causing the mitered surface at the leading end of cleat 78 to rest upon the top of push fin U, as shown by full lines 78e in FIGURES 5 and 6.

When a clear being moved as described above is too long even to be handled in this fashion, or if for any other reason the cleat does not move into proper alignment in the space between the push fins U, the elongated guide 64 will be forced to move to an extreme outer position as indicated by broken lines 64b in FIGURE 2, at which it actuates the plunger 76a of an electric switch 76 secured to the upper surface of the base member H to stop the conveyor bands until the defective cleat may be removed, thus preventing possible damage to the apparatus.

It will be seen that the apparatus disclosed is capable of reliably dispensing cleats into their proper respective positions on the continuously moving conveyor bands of a box-making machine, such apparatus being relatively fool proof in operation and providing substantial safeguards against damage to the apparatus due any anticipated type of malfunction. It will therefore be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objectives have been achieved. However, it should be emphasized that the embodiments of the invention shown and described herein are intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for dispensing mitered cleats comprising a conveyor band, motor means for driving said conveyor band, push elements secured to and projecting from said conveyor band at intervals spaced apart sufiiciently to permit said cleats to be received lengthwise in the spaces between said push elements, a hopper having a bottom and being adapted to hold a stack of said cleats with the bottom cleat in said stack at one side of and adjacent to the path of said push elements, a movable cleat ejecting member adapted to engage said bottom cleat and move its trailing end outwardly into said path for engagement by the succeeding push element, power means for actuating said cleat ejecting member, a cleat supporting surface for supporting said cleat as it is pushed along said path by one of said push elements, a gate member positioned at the output end of said hopper, said gate member extending obliquely inward from the outboard side of said hopper toward said path to direct the leading end of said cleat laterally into said path as it moves away from said hopper, and being mounted for outward movement to allow the leading end of said cleat to pass between said gate member and the outer end of the preceding push element when said cleat is too long to fit into the space between the preceding and succeeding push elements at the level at which it is normally supported by said cleat supporting surface, a ramp member positioned adjacent the inner end of said gate member and just outboard of said cleat path to be engaged by the mitered leading end of such excessively long cleat and to cam said leading end upwardly, resilient means urging said movable gate member inwardly to push said leading end onto the top of the preceding push element and into alignment with said path.

2. Apparatus for dispensing mitered cleats comprising a conveyor band, motor means for driving said conveyor band, push elements secured to and projecting from said conveyor band at intervals spaced apart sufficiently to permit said cleats to be received lengthwise in the spaces between said push elements, a hopper having a bottom and being adapted to hold a stack of said cleats with the bottom cleat in said stack atone side of and adjacent to the path of said push elements, a movable cleat ejecting member adaptedto engage said bottom cleat and move its trailing end outwardly into said path for engagement by the succeeding push element, electrically controlled motive means for driving said cleat ejecting member, an electrical switch to control said motive means, switch actuating elements carried by said conveyor band in predetermined relationship with said push elements, said switch actuating elements being arranged to actuate said electrical switch and cause said motive means to drive said cleat ejecting member to push the trailing end of said bottom cleat into the path of the succeeding push element,

a cleat supporting surface for supporting said cleat as it is pushed along said path by said push elements, a gate member positioned at the output end of said hopper, said gate member extending obliquely inward from the outboard side of said hopper toward said path to direct the leading end of said cleat laterally into said path as it moves away from said hopper, and being mounted for outward movement to allow the leading end of said cleat to pass between said gate member and the outer end of the preceding push element when said cleat is too long to fit into the space between the preceding and succeeding push elements at the level at which it is normally supported by said cleat supporting surface, a ramp member positioned adjacent the inner end of said gate member and just outboard of said cleat path to be engaged by the mitered leading end of such excessively long cleat and to cam said leading end upwardly, resilient means urging said movable gate member inwardly to push said leading end onto the top of the preceding push element and into alignment with said path.

3. Apparatus for dispensing mitered cleats comprising a conveyor band, motor means for driving said conveyor band, push elements secured to and projecting from said conveyor band at intervals spaced apart sufficiently to permit said cleats to be received lengthwise in the spaces between said push elements, a hopper having a bottom and being adapted to hold a stack of said cleats with the bottom cleat in said stack at one side of and adjacent to the path of said push elements, a movable cleat ejecting member adapted to engage said bottom cleat and move its trailing end outwardly into said path for engagement by the succeeding push element, power means for actuating said cleat ejecting member, a cleat supporting surface for supporting said cleat as it is pushed along said path by said push elements, a gate member positioned at the output end of said hopper, said gate member extending obliquely inward from the outboard side of said hopper toward said path to direct the leading end of said cleat laterally into said path as it moves away from said hopper, and being mounted for outward movement to allow the leading end of said cleat to pass between said gate member and the outer end of the preceding push element when said cleat is too long to fit into the space between the preceding and succeeding push elements at the level at which it is normally supported by said cleat supporting surface, a ramp member positioned adjacent the inner end of said gate member and just outboard of said cleat path to be engaged by the mitered leading end of such excessively long cleat and to cam said leading end upwardly, resilient means urging said movable gate member inwardly to push said leading end onto the top of the preceding push element and into alignment with said path, a guide rail extending along the outside of said path beyond the end of said gate member and being mounted for outward movement to permit passage of a cleat of excessive length, resilient means urging said guide rail inwardly, and an electrical switch connected to control said motor means, said switch being arranged to be actuated by the outward movement of said guide rail to a predetermined position beyond the position to which said guide rail is normally moved by passage of a cleat of excessive length whereby to stop said conveyor bands if the leading end of a cleat fails to move over into line with said push elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,993,474 Brackett Mar. 5, 1935 2,253,793 Leimer Aug. 26, 1944 2,348,400 Manspeaker May 9, 1944 2,599,460 Kingsley et a1. June 3, 1952 2,658,631 Kingsley Nov. 10, 1953 2,726,013 Rice et al. Dec. 6, 1955 

